Screening device



Nov. 18, 1952 .1. w. SILVER Err Al.

SCREENING DEVICE 5 Sheets-Shet l Filed June 28, 1950 y OO NVENTORS l f U54.,

TTORNEY Nov. 18, 1952 J, w, slm/ER ETAL 2,618,385

SCREENING DEVICE Filed June 28, 195o 5 snets-sneet 2 M [IINVENTOR BY all 'im RNEYS Nov.k 18, 1952 .1.w. SILVER ETAL SCREENING DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 28, 1950 IN ENTORS ATTORNEYS MMM INVENTORS TTONEYS NOV- 18, 1952 J. w. SILVER ETAL SCREENING DEVICE Filed June 28. 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 E@ Eid n Patented Nov. 18, 1952 UNITED ySTATES PATENT OFFICE Application June 228, 1950, Serial No. "170,818

1 Claim. l

Our invention relates to 'flexible screening devices, 'particularly adapted for use in connection with sugar-beet pilers or the like; Aand the principal object of the vinvention is to provide 'a screening device consisting of a -dirt hopper above which is disposed :a first unit containing forwarding screening elements mounted upon parallell rotating transversely 'disposed shafts, the ele'- ments of -certain shafts beingilex'ible with respect to and arranged .in 'staggered relation to the 'elements 'on adjacent shafts; 'and said first unit 'preceding :a 'second unit in which the 'shafts are disposed axially 'of the hopper and which carry spiral ribs, the adjacent shafts of the second unit yrotating in opposite directions to forward the screened 'beets to 'the delivery end of the hopper.

A fu-rther object of our invention is 'to provide flexible screening elements in the first'unit, which permit rocking or flexing of the elements carried by the 'shaft to permit foreign substances to pass through the screen into the dirt hopper without causing the 'unit to becomeV jammed 'or stopped by such foreign material, said unitl being disposed ahead of the spiral leaf 4and trash remover, so that'the latter unit will perform without clogging as the loose dirt and'rocks are Vremoved before reaching the secondunit.

`We will explain the invention 'with 'reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate several practical embodiments thereof, t-o enable others familiar with the 'artto adopt and use the same; yand will summarizein the claimV the novel features of construction, and'n-ovel-comb'inations of parts', for which'protectio'n is desired.

In said drawings: Y

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the first and second units, showing the arrangement of elements kof the first and second units; also showing V.the gearing for rotating the shafts of said units.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the main drive for the units.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the adjacent portions of the two-units.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the means for rotatably mounting the outer ends of the shafts of the second unit.

Fig. 5 is a view showing a modified second unit in which the shafts thereof are tapered A'rather than truly cylindrical.

Fig. 6 is a transverse section on the line 6 6, Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged elevation, partly in section, showing the provision-of exible spacers be'.- tween the rigid -screening, .elements y.of the rs't Fig. l8 -is a transverse vsection onlthe line "l-48. Fig. '7.

Figs. -'9 land 10 are diagrammatic views yshowing a modified arrangement of the shafts of-the `second -unit n which the axes of `theshafts aref'eccentrically mounted.

In accordance with ourinvention, -the exible screening device -is adapted Ito be incorporated in the customary sugar-beetpilers, or'the like,` although the same may be incorporated in' any other beet-handling machines. In passing through the beet-piler, the sugar-beets vwhi'cl'i have just been harvested are -arranged to pass over our novel ex-ible screening device. However, our novel screening device maybe Iarranged as :a separate vunit from the -rbeetepiler for the like.

As shown in Fig. 1, the beet-screening .device embodies a trough-shaped casi-ng 'having parallel side walls I and 2, 'in -the lower portion of which is arranged the rs'tu-nit, 'followed bythe second unit, as hereinafter described, the vunits-being disposed inthe lower portions :of vthe trough. lIn the bottomof the trough is a dirt hopper i,V Figs. 1 and 3, into `which the lforeign .material is discharged as hereinafter described.

The first unit consists of a plurality of parallel shafts '4, 4arranged transversely ofthe trough and -dirt hopper, clearly indicatedin Figs. Al and 3, said shafts -4 being respectively' journal'e'd in bearings 5 on the frame'o of the machine. On certain of the. shafts 4 arearranged.eJ series of spaced rotary screening elements 1, the :same having hubs 'lc'provided with vnon-circularlicores receiving the correspondingly shaped shafts 4, whereby the elements 'l will be caused Ato rotate in the saine direction asitheir vrespective shafts f4.

As shown in Figs. l, 3, 7 and 8,` vthe elements 1 on alternate shafts'are provided with radi-al arms la, the outer rpor-tions 1b Aof which are curved in the same direction-so Vthat said outer portions are disposed substatnially parallel withthe peripheries of lthe .hubs 'lc-of the elements, thereby presenting a broken substantially cylindrical periphery to the elements 1, as clearly indicated in Fig. 8'. VThe :elements .1 and their hubs 1c are formed ntegrallyofsteel or other durable .material. The elements '1x on the `intermediate shafts are formed of rubber `or other yieldable material, same howeverhaving thefsamefgeneral shape as .the elements .7 shown in Figs. '7 and 85; the elements 'lx being thu-s fobviouslyfiexible so as to permit vlongitudinal and-lateral bending of Y their arms .and outer portions during the screeningoperati-on. As .a'modification Ihowever, the elements 1 aswell-as the elements 'kc may be formed of rubber or other resilient yieldable 3 material so that all the elements 'I and 1:1: may be subject to longitudinal and lateral bending of their arms and outer portions.

The outer ends of the elements 'Ix are staggered with respect to the outer ends 'Ib of the ele ments 'I on adjacent shafts, so that the outer portions of the elements 'I and 11:, all moving in the same direction, form a screening unit in which certain or all of the elements 1 and lx are longitudinally and laterally flexible, the outer portions 'Ib of the rotating elements 'I-'I' moving the beets which are dumped thereon towards the right-hand end of Fig. 1.

The shafts 4 of the first unit are rotated in the same direction so that the elements 'I-'I will rotate in the direction of the arrows A (Fig. 3). As shown, adjacent shafts 4 are provided with sprockets 8 and 8:0 respectively (Fig. 1) around which run chains 9 whereby the adjacent shafts are driven at the same peripheral speed in the desired direction of rotation; and the intermediate shafts 4, as shown in Fig. 1, are provided with additional sprockets 8x around which run similar chains 9 which also run around sprockets (not shown) on the next adjacent shafts (Fig. 1).

As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, rubber spacers It are provided between the adjacent hubs Ic of the rigid elements 'I on the shafts 4. These rubber spacers have non-circular bores for the reception of the shafts 4 and have outer flanges overlying the adjacent ends of adjacent hubs lc of the elements 1. The use of these rubber spacers I provides a covering on the exteriors of the hubs 'Ic of the rigid elements 7, as well as rubber cushions between the faces of adjacent hubs. The use of these rubber spacers II'I, and the fact that the non-circular holes in the hubs 'Ic of the elements 'I are slightly larger than the size of the non-circular shafts 4, allow a certain flexibility or angularity of adjacent rigid elements 1 in event a rock or foreign substance should become wedged therebetween.

The second screening unit, as shown in Fig. 1, consists of a series of parallel closely adjacent shafts II which are disposed parallel with the axis of the trough I-2, the said shafts I I having at their forward end-s reductions I ia which pass into a gear housing I2, antifriction bearings I3 being provided between the shaft reductions IIa and housing I2. The other ends of the shafts I I are tubular and interiorly engage antifriction bearings I4 (Fig. l) carried by L-shaped stub shafts I5 mounted on brackets I6 secured upon the frame member I7 of the machine, as clearly indicated in Figs. 1 and 4. The shaft reductions IIa. of the shafts II extend within gear housing I2, and each carries a gear I8 which meshes with a corresponding gear of same size on the next adjacent shafts, so that the adjacent shafts II are caused to rotate in opposite directions, as indicated by the arrows B on shafts Ii (Fig. 1).

Rotary motion is imparted to one of the gears I8 by a bevel gear I9 on the shaft extension Ila of one of the outermost shafts II, which gear I9 meshes with a bevel gear 20 on a shaft 2| which is journaled in a housing 22 at the adjacent side of the machine frame, said shaft 2 I being mounted in antifriction bearings 23 and carrying on its outer end a gear 24 meshing with a larger gear 25 which is xedly mounted on the rearmost shaft 4 of the first unit, Yas clearly shown in Fig. 1, whereby rotation of said shaft 4 will cause simultaneous rotation of the shafts I I at a much increased speed, the adjacent shafts II however, rotating in opposite directions, as indicated by the arrows B.

As shown in Fig. 1, on the shafts II are spiral ribs 26 which cooperate to forward the beets dropped thereon and move them towards the right-hand end (Fig. 1) of the second unit, the acti-on being such that the beets and such dirt, trash and leaves not removed while the beets are passing over the first unit, will be discharged onto the second unit where the leaves and trash are removed and dropped between pairs of adjacent shafts II into the underlying dirt hopper 3 while the beets travel forwardly and are discharged over the second unit onto a piling conveyor or the like.

The shafts II shown in Fig. 1 are cylindrical in shape; however, it may be found advantageous to make the shafts of tapered shape, as shown more particularly in Figs. 5 and 6, in which one shaft of each adjacent pair has its taper increasing in diameter towards the mid-point of the shaft while the adjacent shaft II has its taper decreasing in diameter towards its midpoint. In this modification, the peripheral speeds of all of the tapered shafts II would be the same adjacent the ends of the shafts where the diameters are substantially equal, but the convex tapered shafts would have greater peripheral speeds adjacent their mid-points than the concave tapered shafts. This novel arrangement will have the effect of turning the beets over as they pass along the shafts II, which is a desirable feature in that it will cause any dirt or leaves riding on the tops of the beets passing over the shafts II to be forced down between the trash removing shafts II when the beets are turned over.

As a further modication, one of each pair of oppositely rotating shafts II may be smooth, i. e., without ribs 26; and the smooth shafts may be made of metal, or may comprise a metallic core having a rubber or other yieldable cover vulcanized or mounted thereon.

A still further modification is shown in Figs. 9 and 10, in which the oppositely rotating shafts I I of the second unit are eccentrically arranged so that during rotation the shafts move up and down thereby agitating the beets while the latter are being propelled toward the discharge end of the unit, thus producing the effect of tumbling the beets, giving increased screening efficiency. In Fig. 9 the alternate shafts II are shown with their eccentricity axes disposed below or above their geometrical axes, while in Fig. 10, the geometrical and eccentricity axes are aligned in the same horizontal plane.

Both the first and second units are simultaneously driven byv means of a sprocket wheel 3U (Fig. 2) on one of the shafts 4 of the rst unit, over which runs a chain 3l which is driven through suitable speed reduction gears or the like from a prime mover (not shown).

In operation The beets are received at the left-hand end (Fig. 1) -of the bin i-2 and carried forward by the rotary action of the elements 'I-'I on shafts 4, while much of the dirt and other foreign material will drop from the rst unit into the dirt hopper 3 disposed below. The beets and such dirt, trash and leaves not removed while the beets are passing over the first unit are discharged onto the shafts II of the spiral leafer screen or second unit where the remaining leaves and trash are removed and discharged into the dirt hopper 3, while the screened beets travel forward and are discharged over the spiral leafer or trash remover towards the right (Fig. 1) onto a beet-piling conveyor or the like.

Our novel exible screening device includes, as essential features, a flexible revolving screen element; flexible screening elements mounted on parallel rotating shafts; the said flexible screening elements being mounted on all the parallel rotating shafts, or the flexible elements on certain shafts alternating with rigid elements mounted on adjacent rotating shafts; said screening elements being so arranged that each has its projecting nger or outer end staggered with respect to those on the elements of the next adjacent shaft; also flexible screening elements with exible hub portions, which hub portions may be provided with rigid reinforcements to prevent the hub from slipping on the rotating shaft; flexible screening elements having one rigid reinforcement vulcanized to the hub on one end and rigid reinforcement not vulcanized to the hub on the opposite end; also flexible screening elements arranged on rotary shafts and used in combination with spiral rotating leaf and trash removing elements.

The exible screening elements permit rocks or other foreign substances to pass through the screen into the dirt hopper without causing the unit to become jammed or stopped by such foreign material, the flexible screening elements being disposed ahead of the leaf and trash remover so that the latter screen will perform without clogging as the bulk of the loose dirt and rocks will be removed before reaching it.

We do not limit our invention to the exact form shown in the drawings, for obviously 6 changes may be made therein within the scope of the claim. We claim: A flexible screening device for sugar-beet pilers or the like, comprising a trough; a series of closely adjacent parallel shafts disposed parallel with the axis of the trough; means for rotating the adjacent shafts in opposite directions; and spiral ribs on certain of the shafts adapted to move the beets deposited on the shafts towards one end thereof; said shafts being eccentrically mounted and adapted during rotation to move alternately above and below the common plane of the series.

JAMES W. SILVER. JOSEPH M. SILVER..

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 436,049 Watters Sept. 9, 1890 483,225 Lampitt Sept. 27, 1892 527,656 Borchard Oct. 16, 1894 530,261 Distl et al Dec. 4, 1894 575,376 Rosenthal Jan. 19, 1897 712,051 Elliott Oct. 29, 1902 1,387,562 Spiker Aug. 16, 1921 1,641,777 Newhouse Sept. 6, 1927 1,766,340 Kendall June 24, 1930 1,899,292 Rienks Feb. 28, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 305,065 Italy Jan. 26, 1933 600,345 Germany July 20, 1934 

